Agenda item

To submit a report by the Head of Service (Highways, Waste and Property) in relation to the above.

AN INVITATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL TO ATTEND IN RESPECT OF THIS ITEM.

Submitted – the report of the Head of Service (Highways, Waste and Property) in relation to the Waste Collections Options Appraisal.

The Chair welcomed Mr. Adrian Gibbs, Euromia Research & Consulting, Ms. Kelly Thomas, WRAP Cymru and Mr. Andrew Dutton, Biffa Municipal to the meeting.  He further stated that all Members of the County Council had been invited to attend the Scrutiny Committee in respect of this item.

The Chief Waste Management Officer reported that Anglesey’s Waste Management Service has now reached a critical point where a fundamental change in service delivery will be required to meet long term targets.  Major challenges exist in meeting future statutory recycling targets set by the Welsh Government combined with a need to operate services more efficiently due to budget cuts.  The collection and processing recycling materials is far cheaper than collecting and disposing/treating left over ‘black bag’ residual waste.  If a new collection system can be put into place where the level of residual waste can be restricted in some way, this will result in increased recycling and therefore reduce overall costs. 

The Welsh Government has set statutory local authority targets for reuse, recycling and recovery; 58% recovery of municipal waste for 2015/16; 64% for 2019/20 and 70% for 2025/25.  Failure to meet these statutory targets can result in WG imposing fines of £200 per tonne based on the number of tonnes below the statutory target listed.  For Anglesey, this means for every 1% failure in the recycling target set, the Council would have to pay around £80k per annum in fines.  The current recycling performance on Anglesey is estimated to be around 55% for 2015/16. 

To maximise the chances of meeting the 58% statutory recycling target for 2015/16, the Waste Management Section is currently sending some of its residual waste for treatment rather than all to landfill, where some of the ‘back-end’ Incinerator Bottom Ash material produced following incineration can be counted as recycling.  It is hoped that the 58% target for 2015/16 will be achieved due to this method.

The Chief Waste Management Officer further reported that Officers of the County Council have been in discussions with WRAP Cymru Collaborative Change Programme (funded by WG to support local authorities with service design, delivery and strategy), Biffa (the waste collection and cleansing contractor) and Officers from other Welsh local authorities over the last 12 months, to discuss what options exist to bring about the required step increase in recycling outputs.  Most Council’s across Wales are considering options to restrict residual waste further and several have implemented or are in the process of introducing smaller bins or 3 weekly collections of residual waste.  An increasing number of local authorities are also considering 4 weekly collections of residual waste. 

Using WRAP Cymru funding, an experienced external consultant (Eunomia) has been appointed to carry out a detailed options appraisal on different kerbside collection systems and to determine their resultant resources and costs, where the levels of residual waste would be restricted in some way.  A joint working group was established to identify some key principles that would need to be adopted as part of any new options appraisal modelling work in respect to any changes to the waste collection system. 

Mr. Adrian Gibbs, Euromia Research & Consulting and Ms. Kelly Thomas, WRAP Cymru gave a presentation to the Committee on the work undertaken on the waste collections options appraisal for Anglesey.  A table showing a summary of all findings of the Collections Options Appraisal was attached to the report as Appendix 1.

The Committee considered the report and made the following comments thereon :-

·      There is a need for larger/other boxes for recycling materials together with other mixed plastics been taken for recycling if the WG statutory recycling targets are to be meet;

·      Some members stated that people are buying too much food i.e. ‘buy one/two, get one fee and thereafter throwing away unwanted food;

·      Potential problems people living in flats who use communal waste facilities;

·      Potential fly-tipping issues.  The Officers responded that other local authorities have been approach who have introduced a three weekly waste collection service and have responded that they have not seen any increase in fly-tipping within their area; 

·      Concern in respect of possible vermin is residual waste is collected every 4 weeks;

·      Some members stated that their constituents have contacted them with opposition to the four weekly black bin collection as the Council propose that a 4.5% increase in the Council Tax for 2015/16 is to be imposed;

·      Supermarkets need to reduce packaging on food materials.  The Officers agreed that packaging on food materials need to be addressed and it was considered that retail outlets are addressing these issues;

·      Households with large families would find it difficult to cope with the proposed four weekly ‘black bin’ residual waste collection.  The Officers responded that the option to provide extra recycling boxes would be discussed with Biffa as part of any contract variation;

·      Facilities for nappies need to be addressed. The Officers responded that nappies would be collected on a fortnightly basis i.e. the same frequency as present;

·      Concerns expressed regarding people living in the countryside having to take their heavy bins to designated pick up points.  The Officers responded that a ‘fetch and return’ service is available for the elderly and people with health problems; 

·      The education of people with regards to recycling and the possible fines imposed for disposing of residual waste needs to be at the forefront to meet the WG recycling targets. Town/Community Councils together with School Council’s need to be approached.  The Officers responded that 2 designated Officers have been employed to attend schools and other organisations in respect of the importance of recycling;

·      Questions raised in respect of the possible use of the Gwalchmai Recycling Household Waste Centre to be able to deal with more recycling materials.  The Officers responded that adaptations would be required at the Gwlachmai Recycling facility to deal with the additional recycling (as listed in Appendix 1);

·      Questions raised regarding the increase in the population of the Island due to the influx of workers to build the Wylfa Newydd.  The Officers responded that this matter has not been included within the report to the Committee but it will need to be raised with Horizon Nuclear Power in due course;

·      A table showing the recycling figures for each community was requested;

Following indepth deliberations it was RESOLVED to recommend to the

Executive :-

• That Option 2a a three weekly ‘black bin’ residual waste collection, be the favoured option, which includes the provision of  one extra recycling box for additional recycling;

• That consequential recommendations within the report to allow implementation of the three weekly collection be approved.

ACTION : The recommendation of the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee be forwarded to the Executive for consideration at its meeting to be held on 30 November, 2015.